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Lecso, a Hungarian Dishes

13 Hungarian Dishes for People Who Really Love Food!

Home » FOOD & WINE » 13 Hungarian Dishes for People Who Really Love Food!

Last Modified: August 17, 2023 //  by Anda //  45 Comments

Hungarian cuisine is definitely not for people on a diet! I realized that after my first trip to Budapest, when I returned home with 7 extra pounds! But even though I know I’ll pay the price, I can’t refrain from eating the fattening but delicious Hungarian dishes, every chance I have.

Table of Contents

  • Characteristics of the Hungarian Dishes
  • Hungarian Signature Dishes
    • Gulyás (goulash)
    • Pörkölt (meat stew)
    • Meggyleves (sour cherry soup)
    • Lángos (deep fried flat bread)
    • Töltött Káposzta (Hungarian stuffed cabbage rolls)
    • Csirke/Borju Paprikás (chicken/veal paprikash) 
    • Hortobagyi Palacsinta (meat pancakes)   
    • Libamaj (roasted goose liver/fois gras)
    • Lechó (ratatouille)
  • Best Traditional Hungarian Desserts
    • Dobos Torta (Dobosh cake)
    • Meggyes Rétes (sour cherry strudel)
    • Szilvas Gomboc (plum dumplings)
    • Kurtos Kalacs (Chimney Cake)

Characteristics of the Hungarian Dishes

Hungarian paprika
Paprika

Hungarian food may seem heavy, but it’s rich in flavor and aroma and very tasty. Hungarians use a lot of sour cream, lard, fried garlic and onion when preparing their food.

Paprika is also a quintessential ingredient, used in preparing many of the Hungarian dishes. Other characteristics of Hungarian cuisine are the fruit soups, casseroles, and pastries.

Bread plays an important item in the Hungarian diet. Hungarians eat bread with almost everything and at every meal. They eat it at breakfast, with butter and jam; at lunch, with soup, salami, or sausages; and also eat it at dinner, with meat gravy or lard.

Hungarians also use a lot of bread when cooking. Many of their meat dishes are dipped in bread and then baked or fried.

Hungarian Signature Dishes

I love Hungarian food (and wines!) and because I’m married to a Hungarian, I learned to cook some of these dishes over the years. So here are some of my favorites:

Gulyás (goulash)

Goulash is the most popular Hungarian dish, something between a soup and a stew, made with beef, potatoes, tomatoes, onion and paprika.

The recipe varies a little in each region of Hungary. Some cooks make it with pork and also add carrots to the mix. However, the traditional Goulash is made exclusively from beef or veal.

Hungarian food - Goulash
Goulash, the most traditional Hungarian food

The meat, tomatoes, onion and paprika are cooked for several hours at a slow fire. Diced potatoes are added only when the meat is very tender. The potatoes will make the goulash thicker and smoother.

Goulash is a very popular food in Hungary and in the 1800s it was declared a national dish. They serve Goulash in almost any restaurant in Budapest, but if you want the real deal, look for a traditional Hungarian restaurant.

Pörkölt (meat stew)

Pörkölt is a rich stew made of any kind of meat, tomato, paprika, and onions. It’s usually served with a side of Hungarian noodles called nokedli. The taste is very similar to that of Goulash, which is why many visitors don’t make a distinction between the two dishes.

Meat stew Hungarian dish
Pörkölt (meat stew), a typical Hungarian food

For best results, the meet needs to be cooked for hours. Traditionally, Pörkölt is cooked outside, over an open fire, in a heavy metal pot called bogrács.

Meggyleves (sour cherry soup)

Meggyleves is a sweet soup made of sour cherries, sour cream, and sugar. The first time my mother in law served this to me, I thought it was a desert. The fresh creamy soup is served cold, with sour cream on top. The dish looks and tastes like a delicious desert, but it’s actually eaten at the beginning of the meal, as a regular soup.

Hungarian dish sour cherry soup
Sou cherries soup (Meggyleves)

Lángos (deep fried flat bread)

Lángos is a deep fried flat bread which many people eat with shredded cheese and sour cream. I personally like to eat the Lángos plain, without any other ingredients. If they are properly fried, the dough is crunchy and very tasty.    

languish, traditional Hungarian dish
Langos

Langós is a very well liked Hungarian food, but don’t look for it in restaurants. It’s one of the most popular street foods in Budapest and a staple at any Budapest Christmas market. The best Langós I ever tried was at the Great Market Hall in Budapest.

Töltött Káposzta (Hungarian stuffed cabbage rolls)

Although a traditional Hungarian food, Töltött Képoszta is actually common to many other Eastern European countries. However, the Hungarian recipe has a very specific flavor.

The Stuffed Cabbage Rolls are made with sauerkraut, sour cabbage leaves, beef and pork, onion, tomato sauce and paprika. The Romanian version of this dish has no paprika, but instead it uses cumin and thyme. In Polish cuisine there is also a variation of this dish, called Polish Golumpki.

stuffed cabbage rolls
Stuffed Cabbage Rolls with Saussage (Töltött Képoszta)

Also, Hungarians eat their Stuffed Cabbage Rolls (Töltött Káposzta) with sausage, sour cream and bread. As opposed to Romanians who eat their Stuffed Cabbage Rolls (Sarmale) with polenta.

Csirke/Borju Paprikás (chicken/veal paprikash) 

Chicken/Veal Paprikash is my favorite Hungarian dish. I’ve learned to cook it myself, but it never tastes as good as the one they make in Budapest.

Veal Paprikash
Veal Paprikash (Borju Paprikás)

Paprikás is a stew made with chicken or veal, sweet red pepper, paprika powder, garlic, onion, and tomatoes. They serve the Paprikash with galuska (dumplings) and sour cream.

Hortobagyi Palacsinta (meat pancakes)   

Hortobagyi Palacsinta is my favorite Hungarian dish – a rich stew of minced veal or chicken tucked inside the pancakes. The pancakes are baked in the oven and served with sour cream and paprika sauce.

Unfortunately, not all restaurants in Budapest know how to cook this properly. If you want to taste the real thing, look for a good Hungarian restaurant, not just any tourist-trap eatery.    

Meat Pancakes
Meat Pancakes (Hortobagyi Palacsinta)

Libamaj (roasted goose liver/fois gras)

Foie gras is a well-known delicacy in French cuisine, but Hungarians specialize in producing it. In Hungary geese force-feeding is a tradition that dates back to the 15th century.

If animal rights activists could have their way, the custom of force-feeding the geese would vanish entirely. Truth be told, the procedure fits the bill for animal cruelty, but anyone who ever tried the famous roasted goose liver can’t forget the experience.

roasted goose liver

Libamaj (roasted goose liver) is one of the most delicious Hungarian dishes and a must-try if you are in Budapest. Libamaj (foie gras) is on many restaurants’ menu, but it’s pricey. Be warned however that some places may pass the regular goose/duck liver as foie gras, so be sure to ask specifically if they have the real thing. Especially if the price seems very reasonable.

Lechó (ratatouille)

Lecsó is a Hungarian thick vegetable stew made with yellow pointed peppers, tomato, onion, garlic and paprika. The onions and peppers are usually sauted in lard, or sunflower oil. It can be a main course or a side dish.

Hungarian dish
Lechó

READ NEXT: Best Hungarian Souvenirs to Buy from Budapest

Best Traditional Hungarian Desserts

Hungary is renowned for its fine pastries and desserts. Some of the Hungarian confectionery are more modern, going back only 150 years. Others sweet recipes are much older however. The list of delicious traditional Hungarian desserts is endless, but I’m going to mention some of my favorite ones:

Dobos Torta (Dobosh cake)

Dobos torta is Hungary’s most famous cake. It was invented in 1884, and it’s made of severn thin layers of sponge cake alternating with rich chocolate butter cream. The top layer is covered with hardened caramel.

Dobos torta Hungarian dessert
Dobos Torta

I was never able to bake it myself, but that’s probably for the better because I can’t stop eating it! Dobosh cake is a must-try if you are ever in Hungary.                                                                                                                                      

Meggyes Rétes (sour cherry strudel)

Meggyes rétes is puff pastry strudel filled with sour cherries and poppy seeds. It tastes divine especially when it’s made with fresh fruit. But since sour cherries are a seasonal fruit, it’s usually made with canned sour cherries.

Sour cherry Strudel Hungarian dessert
Meggyes rétes

Szilvas Gomboc (plum dumplings)

Hungarian plum dumplings are a dish made with a mashed potato dough filled with plums. The dough is flattened out and cut into squares. The plums are pitted, wrapped completely in dough then dropped in boiling water.

Plum dumplings
Szilvas Gomboc

When they start floating, you take them out, sprinkle them with sugar, and serve them. You can also cover them with breadcrumbs fried in butter.

Kurtos Kalacs (Chimney Cake)

Kurtos kalacs (chimney cake) is Hungary’s oldest pastry. The chimney cake is made by wrapping pastry around a cylinder, coated with lots of sugar and baked in an open fire oven.   

chimney cake
Kurtos kalacs

Chimney cake is a street food, so you’ll find it at food stands and small bakeries around town. Since the recipe originated in Transylvania, you’ll find this delicious pastry in the small villages in Northern Romania as well.

 You may also like:

  • 13 Traditional Romanian Dishes Guaranteed to Make You Drool
  • What You Should Know About Hungarians Before You Travel to Hungary
  • Prague vs Budapest: How to Decide Which One to Visit
  • How to Spend a Magical Holiday in Budapest in Winter
  • Best Street Food and Turkish Dishes to Try in Istanbul
Hungarian dishes

Category: FOOD & WINE, HungaryTag: Budapest

About Anda

Anda is an award winning travel writer, avid globetrotter and passionate photographer. She is the voice behind "Travel Notes & Beyond," a collection of stories and travel impressions from her wanderings around the world. When she is not busy writing, traveling, or editing photographs, you can find her hiking in the foothills behind her house together with her husband and their dog.

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Amazing

    June 29, 2022 at 4:00 am

    Oh thanks for this collection! All of them look so tasty!

    Reply
  2. Peter

    May 29, 2022 at 10:55 pm

    I am sure that I will not be pronouncing the names right but I can guarantee you that my plate will be empty in the end. These look absolutely amazing. I am drooling right now.

    Reply
    • Anda

      May 30, 2022 at 11:51 pm

      I love Hungarian food too, Peter!

      Reply
  3. Joe Ankenbauer

    April 2, 2020 at 7:05 pm

    The Dobosh Torte looks amazing! I need to get to Hungary asap so I can try all the amazing foods you listed here, especially the torte! They all look super delicious!

    Reply
  4. Gary

    November 21, 2019 at 5:04 am

    Hi Anda, please write another list including South African dishes. It would be lovely for other people to know more about what we eat since we are also learning about Hungarian Food while in Africa.

    Reply
    • Anda Galffy

      November 21, 2019 at 6:36 am

      I’d love to, Gary, but I’m not acquainted with African dishes. Hopefully I’ll be able to take a trip there soon.

      Reply
      • Gary

        November 22, 2019 at 4:09 am

        I understand Anda

        Reply
  5. Emese

    October 23, 2019 at 5:24 pm

    I can’t believe I missed this post, Anda! Thank you for posting all of these yummy dishes. I hear you about returning with extra pounds from a trip back home (or Hungary). My favorite of all is cherry soup – my grandma used to make the best! I can never make it as good though 🙁 (then again, I don’t have a cherry tree in my backyard. Love this post! 🙂

    Reply
    • Anda Galffy

      October 24, 2019 at 9:28 am

      Hi Emese, good to hear from you. As a Hungarian, you are undoubtedly acquainted with all these dishes. I never liked the sour cherry soup, but my husband adores it.

      Reply
  6. Adonis Villanueva

    October 16, 2019 at 11:03 pm

    I had plenty of Hungarian dishes! Goulash (gulyas) however it’s spelled, and langos is my favorites. Funny though, one of the best goulashes I’ve ever had was in Romania. I had most of the dishes photographed here but never knew what they were called. I kind of just pointed at menu pictures when I ordered at restaurants and rolled with it 🙂

    Reply
  7. Kamree

    October 15, 2019 at 3:54 pm

    I should not have read this on an empty stomach! All of these dishes look delicious, but the Dobosh Cake is calling my name! xo – Kam

    Reply
    • Anda Galffy

      October 16, 2019 at 6:55 pm

      Yes, I agree. Reading about food and especially seeing pictures always makes me hungry.

      Reply
  8. Rosemary

    October 15, 2019 at 3:54 pm

    I’m not familiar with Hungarian cuisine so this is very interesting and tasty to read. I’m quite intrigued by the sweet cherry soup, especially as a starter. Do you like it? I’m tempted by the Paprikash and the chimney cakes. I look forward to exploring Hungarian cuisine soon. Reading this has me salivating now….

    Reply
    • Anda Galffy

      October 16, 2019 at 6:57 pm

      I’m sure you’ll love Hungarian food, Rosemary. As for the sour cherry soup, I don’t particularly like the combination of sweet and sour, but it’s a very flavored dish.

      Reply
  9. Indrani

    October 14, 2019 at 6:58 pm

    OMG! I am drooling over this post. I spent 4 days in Budapest and had some of these dishes, not all sadly. Food definitely makes Hungary unique. I remember walking the streets with chimney cake in hand. Great post. 🙂

    Reply
    • Anda Galffy

      October 16, 2019 at 6:58 pm

      Yea, chimney cake is one of my weaknesses too, Indrani.

      Reply
  10. Linda

    October 13, 2019 at 5:50 pm

    My in-laws were Hungarian. So I tried a lot of the typical Hungarian dishes before we went to Hungary. I found that too many times there was just too much paprika for me – especially in the Paprikash. But never too much sour cream! But I sure wish we had tried Langos. We had Chimney Cakes in the Czech Republic first. But of course and to taste them when we hit Hungary! I should have left this post for after I ate! Thanks.

    Reply
    • Anda Galffy

      October 14, 2019 at 6:33 am

      Hahaha, I didn’t realize you were married to a Hungarian too, Linda.

      Reply
  11. Patricia

    October 13, 2019 at 3:24 pm

    I’m not going to lie, that picture of the cake immediately caught my attention and made me hungry. 🙂 The Dobosh Torte is now at the top of my food wishlist! I’m already a goulash fan, so getting to try an authentic goulash would have to happen. And that Lángos looks and sounds insanely good!

    Reply
  12. Jenn and Ed Coleman

    October 13, 2019 at 7:04 am

    Sounds like I should only go to Budapest if I’m feeling Hungary. Sorry. Had to do it. But I could see gaing seven pounds on a trip there. The Dobos Torta looks incredible. I’m going to have to try that one.

    Reply
    • Anda Galffy

      October 14, 2019 at 6:38 am

      You definitely have to try it, Jenn.

      Reply
  13. Danik

    October 13, 2019 at 12:25 am

    Whilst in Hungary, I have tried nearly every single dish here apart from the Libamaj (next time!). But I do love a good goulash by the campfire next to the shores of Lake Balaton in the spring months. Perfect!

    Reply
    • Anda Galffy

      October 14, 2019 at 6:36 am

      I’m sure that tasted even better, Danik.

      Reply
  14. Rhonda Albom

    October 12, 2019 at 4:01 pm

    I’ve eaten a few of these before (though I doubt my mediocre cooking skills make them as good as the original), but what really stuck out for me was the Meggyleves. How does the sour cream combine with the sweetness of the cherries? I can’t picture the taste at all.

    Reply
    • Anda Galffy

      October 14, 2019 at 6:32 am

      To be honest with you I don’t really like that soup at all. The sour cream and the cherries make a pretty strange combination for my taste, but my Hungarian husband is crazy about it. What can I say, “de gustibus…”

      Reply
  15. Ioana Stoica

    October 3, 2019 at 2:00 pm

    I love all of these. Especially the langos, Dobosh cake, and the dumplings. I grew up in Romania and we adopted many of these into our own cuisine so I grew up on them. I’m addicted to the sweets haha

    Reply
    • Anda Galffy

      October 3, 2019 at 2:44 pm

      I also grew up in Romania, Ioana. Yes, you are right, we adopted many of these Hungarian recipes, although our spices were a little different.

      Reply
  16. Linda Bibb

    March 30, 2015 at 2:22 pm

    Dan and I will be in Budapest for the first time in mid-June and we are really looking forward to it. It’s a shame that I have to avoid wheat because those tortes and langos look absolutely delightful. Guess I’ll have to rely on Dan’s reports, haha.

    Thanks for the heads-up on what goes into the meat dishes too, because we don’t eat anything with lard or pork. Great hearing about oose liver, paprikash and goulash; they will keep our taste buds quite happy, I’m sure.

    Reply
    • Anda Galffy

      March 30, 2015 at 4:35 pm

      There is a great variety of dishes without lard and pork that you can enjoy. I don’t eat pork either and have no problems in Budapest. As for the wheat, there may be something without, but I am not sure.

      Reply
  17. Anda Galffy

    March 29, 2015 at 2:46 pm

    It’s so true, Valeria. That’s why I enjoy trying different cuisines.

    Reply
  18. Penny

    March 28, 2015 at 10:07 am

    Well I’m ok with the ‘heavy’ food, there is a lot of the same in the UK, so I’m right at home with that, hehe.

    Will skip the Goose Liver, but I’m all over the desserts 😉

    Reply
  19. Isabella

    March 28, 2015 at 8:14 am

    I absolutely L-O-V-E kurtoskalacs (especially with cinnamon)!!! 😀

    Reply
  20. Esther

    March 28, 2015 at 12:57 am

    Hungarian cuisine is so underrated, a shame really as I had the best food when I was in Budapest. And the wines, ah the wines!!

    Reply
    • Anda Galffy

      March 29, 2015 at 2:54 pm

      I don’t know if it’s underrated. I come from that part of the world and there is actually really famous.

      Reply
  21. Lyn

    October 17, 2014 at 9:34 pm

    Wow, so many new foods to try when I return to Budapest. Having a sweet tooth I would love to try both of the tortes you mentioned… yum!

    Reply
    • Anda Galffy

      October 17, 2014 at 9:35 pm

      I think you’ll love them, Lyn.

      Reply
  22. Ashley

    July 24, 2014 at 7:39 pm

    This sounds so tasty! I remember having goulash a lot as a kid, but obviously at the time didn’t realize it was Hungarian. Can’t wait to visit Hungary one day 🙂

    Reply
    • Anda Galffy

      July 24, 2014 at 10:00 pm

      I think you are going to have a blast in Hungary, Ashley, at least in Budapest.

      Reply
  23. Christa Thompson

    July 24, 2014 at 1:37 pm

    It all sounds good but I think that Roasted Goose Liver served up cold might give me a bit of a challenge. Lol. Sour Cream is rather popular it seems. 🙂

    Reply
    • Anda Galffy

      July 24, 2014 at 1:49 pm

      Very heavy food, but very tasty!

      Reply
  24. Adelina

    July 24, 2014 at 10:27 am

    Whenever someone puts out a list like this I’m always scared to read them for fear of missing out on some classics despite living in Hungary for 2 years. The only one I missed is the Eszterhazy Torte, but that’s okay. I’m not too keen on sweets anyways. I could sure go with a langos right about now. Junk food ftw.

    Reply
    • Anda Galffy

      July 24, 2014 at 1:44 pm

      I’m sure you haven’t miss anything, Adelina, if you lived there for two years.

      Reply
  25. Penster

    July 20, 2014 at 9:56 am

    Almost everything sounds delish!! I would love to learn how to make some of those dishes – especially that torte!

    Reply
    • Anda Galffy

      July 20, 2014 at 1:48 pm

      I feel safer not knowing hot to make these dishes, especially the Dobosh Torte. It’s a really dangerous and mean desert!

      Reply
  26. Mandie

    July 20, 2014 at 5:37 am

    I make a pretty mean goulash myself, but I’d like to try the real thing! And torte…so yummy!

    Reply

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